Thought processes and conversations started under the tilted cap of Tropicana Field. Someday everyone will know the Rays play in St. Petersburg, Florida, not TAMPA, or the fictitious city of TAMPA BAY.

The Special Edition MLB All-Star Game Bottle

I sometimes still get the odd merchandising mailings and a package containing some of the promotional items from Pepsico, even though I left their employment over three years ago. I have been told, I still have a friend within the company’s headquarters in Purchase, New York, and sometimes still get some interesting trinkets and tidbits from the “home office”. But I opened a box sitting by my mailbox last night and might have gotten one of the best gifts from my former employer.

There sitting amongst a bushel of Styrofoam peanuts was a treasure I would surely keep close to me. Nestled in that soft carpet of Mr. Peanut head -shaped packing material was a gift only a true baseball love could enjoy. For someone in that office up in New York remembered I was a active and enthusiastic baseball fan, and I got a great thrill after seeing the collectible item stuffed within that box.

Every year Pepsi Cola does some kind of remarkable collectible bottles to celebrate professional sporting events throughout this great Nation, and today…I got a small piece of history stuffed within that box.

I had gotten both 16 ounce aluminum Pepsi bottles of the collectible set that had been distributed within the California market to celebrate the upcoming All-Star Game to be held at Angels Stadium in Anaheim, California on July 13th. Glistening among those white peanuts was two different styled bottles to immortalize this great event. And each bottle have their own unique patterns and interesting points.

The first bottle I picked up and pulled out of the box was a full bottle that had six different past All-Stars listed on the round bottle.

All had action shots that were etched and printed on the bottles with their past All-Star appearances. It was kind of odd to me that Pepsi did not include Ken Griffey Jur. In this promotion since he has been a focal point of past MLB promotions along with Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriquez and shortstop Derek Jeter. But the pinstripes did get a nod with the big man Sabathia, so they did not get shut out.

The second bottle had a basic great California background with palm trees and the mountains on it, and is printed in the Pepsi trademark blue and had a distinctive centerpiece of the 2010 MLB All-Star Game logo. On the bottle within the sweet spot regions on the baseballs were street signs designating “Hollywood” “Interstate 5″ , ” OC”, and “Santa Monica” . These items again are only being sold in the Southern California Pepsi marketplace, and should be going fast off the shelves as collectors and Pepsi fans alike begin to notice this great item to celebrate the 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

But it was great that someone who used to be my Pepsi upper level contacts remembered that I was an avid baseball fan again this year, and sent me this fantastic gift that is available in a limited edition only in one section of the country. But then this person was also on hand when I used to build and try and construct the unique and exclusive Pepsi displays during the past Rays Fan Fest for the annual Rays/Pepsi Fan Wall of Fame ceremonies.

Still it was great to get something special from Pepsi, and it will (hopefully) be in my collection for a long, long time. By the way, they are filled with bubbly Pepsi, and will remain full until……

Raysfanboy,
Of course they would be nice to me, I am getting my pension in 5 years (lol).
Seriously, I always wore a Rays cap to my asccounts, and they knew I was a Rays Season Ticket holder and never used the company’s tickets except for Opening Day 1998.
And then the only reason I did was we had an entire section of just our location at the First Rays game ever.

Raysfanboy,
I am an extreme Sobe Water guy, plus an recovering Dr. Pepper addict.
But I still love that the old company every once in a while forgets and sends me something special.
Make me taking my pension from them in the future even more…civil.

Jane,
I think they are doing the promo in your region of Cali.
You might be able toget one with CC Sabathia on it, if that is what you like in your collectibles.
Jane, if you have a drink for me…have a Dr. Pepper….He is good 10-2-4 all day long.

those look beautiful. i love pepsi’s campaign with baseball especially for this year. all the big idea things. Pirates first baseman Jeff Clement is in in for some odd reason. He goes “Lets throw a pizza party for all of Pittsburgh.” ah i love it!http://pittpeas.mlblogs.com

XciciX,
I will never know.
I will never open those bottles. It might lose some of its liquid by evaporation or humidity loss like my old Shaq 6-packs, but I will never have that nectar from those aluminum bottles hit my lips.
It ruins the value of the item to drink it dry….but I wil have a few million more in my life to substitute the two collectible bottles.

Jeff,
Why did I know you would go the malt and barley route.
I would think that Budweiser would have the same kind of props for the All-Star Game, but I am not a Bud drinker at all.
If I lived in St. Louis, bars would hate me, I drink Coors Light or something from a green bottle (lol).

Matt,
Got to say, the Pepsi campaign the last few years has been more focused on MLD’s upcoming players.
I love that commercial, but I am with Tiger’s OF Johnny Damon. Soory Longo, but Senior Prom for Seniors is just…..well stereotypical for our region 15 years ago when “Cocoon” was filmed in St. Petersburg, not today.
I like the Pittsburgh pizza party idea.

Cliff,
I’ve been looking for the bottles but I can’t find them! All the ones I found are the commemorative All-Star but without the All-Star pictures.
After I got to this 4th of July party I will continue with my search
Emmahttp://crzblue.mlblogs.com

Emma,
I remember reading a west coast blog that had a name like “Vonns” or maybe Target as the place where they found their bottles.
But you never know, the fever could be hitting it peak out there right now and people have huddled and bought their ownm stash of the bottle for EBay slaes next week.
I know I would of bought at least 4 cases from my Pepsi friends or old accounts to save some to give out to special friends….But I do not have a Cali counterpart to exchange Rays gear with….yet.

Yeah Cliff. Vons is where I’ve been looking as that is what I read on a blog. Thanks.
I’ll continue with my search. Did you see my pics of the three baseball mickeys in LA? they have a Pirate, Dodgers and Yankees. I took pics Friday night after work.
Emmahttp://crzblue.mlblogs.com

Emma,
I have not seen those Mickey Mouse photos yet, but I will try and pop by today.
I am still curious on where the Rays Mickey is hidden? Even checked the MLB photo gallery of pictures and did not find a single photo of the wayward Mickey.
He must be hidden somewhere good, or just somewhere most people do not go on a regular basis.
Maybe he is hiiden in Santa Monica, under the water by the pier…..Who knows?

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